In one of the darkest moments of the Vietnam War, the top American military
commander in Saigon activated a plan in 1968 to move nuclear weapons to South
Vietnam until he was overruled by President Lyndon B. Johnson, according to
recently declassified documents cited in a new history of wartime presidential
decisions.

Vietnam last year abandoned plans to build its first nuclear power plants
with Japanese and Russian assistance due to heightened concern over the safety
of atomic power following events including the Fukushima disaster, according to
former President Truong Tan Sang.

Due to the low capacity of the nuclear reactor, the Da Lat Nuclear Research
Institute is only capable of producing enough radioactive drugs to meet the
demand for radioactive isotopes and radioactive preparations for 25 medical
establishments in Vietnam.

For more than a decade there has been talk of a global “nuclear
renaissance,” and until recently Vietnam looked to be part of it, making plans
to build nuclear infrastructure and taking the necessary steps to become a
member of the international nuclear community.

Vietnam has decided to scrap plans to build two nuclear power plants, which
would have been the first in southeast Asia. Hydropower and coal are set to
remain dominant in the fast-industrializing country.

Viet Nam will start the construction on its first nuclear power plant in
Ninh Thuan in 2020, six years later than scheduled, to ensure safety and
efficiency, said Hoang Anh Tuan, director general of the Viet Nam Atomic Energy
Agency.

Is Vietnam diverting its civilian know-how to create an indigenous nuclear
weapons program? Not yet, says the CSS’ Oliver Thränert, but increased tensions
or overt conflict with China could lead Hanoi to develop its own nuclear
deterrent.

The engineering subsidiary of Russia's Rosatom has signed a general
framework agreement with Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) for construction of unit
1 of the planned Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant. The country's electricity use
is set to triple in 15 years.

Vietnam’s plan to introduce nuclear power to its energy mix faced a fresh
setback on Thursday as safety concerns and legal issues pushed back the planned
construction of the country’s first nuclear plant by about five years from the
initial schedule.

Vietnamese officials have chosen Rosatom's AES-2006 design for the country's
first nuclear power plant at Ninh Thuan, increasing the planned capacity of the
four unit plant by about 800 MWe. A second plant should follow based on a
partnership with Japan.

US-based Lightbridge Corp has extended its nuclear cooperation with Vietnam
by agreeing to offer consultancy services for setting up a nuclear research
centre, including a research reactor, in the country.

A USA-Vietnam agreement on civil nuclear energy cooperation has entered into
force. The agreement establishes the terms for commercial nuclear trade,
research and technology exchanges between the two countries as provided under
Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act.

WASHINGTON — The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved an
agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation between the U.S. and Vietnam, as
Washington looks to expand its relationship with its former Southeast Asian
foe.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh has asked central authorities to consider
Lam Dong Province’s proposal to relocate the site of a future nuclear reactor
outside the resort town of Da Lat following years of protest by local
agencies.

Vietnam and Russia are planning to build a US$500 million atomic energy
research center comprising two units in central and northern Vietnam next year,
with their operation slated for five years later.

Vietnam expects to finish building and start operating more than ten nuclear
power engines with a total capacity of around 15,000 – 16,000 megawatts per
year by 2030, the Department of Thermal and Nuclear Power has announced.

Vietnam will not suffer from power shortages due to the delay in
construction of its first nuclear power plant until 2020 since around 10
thermal power plants would be built by then, the chief of the Vietnam Energy
Association said.